Detachable button



May 31, 19 49. SHAFFER 7 2,471,589

' DETACHABLE BUTTON Filed Jan. 15, 1945 WARE) A. 5HAFFER Patented May 31, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DETACHABLE BUTTON Harry A. Shaffer, East Cleveland, Ohio Application January 15, 1945, Serial No. 572,800

7' Claims.

This invention relates to buttons and particularly to quickly detachable buttons of. a type adaptable for use on womens garments.

The primary object or this invention is to provide a button, the ornamental head of which may be quickly and easily removed and be similarly replaced, and thereby enable. a convenient substitution of buttons or diflerent colors, shapes or sizes.

Another object. of the invention is to providea detachable button of the type stated which is sewed onto one side oi a piece of textile fabric and which hasno metal or mechanical partsthat puncture or perforate the fabric.

A further object is to cor-ist'ruct' such buttons out of two easily made parts that lock together automatically and therefore need no auxiliary keys or pins to hold them together. 7

Still another object of the invention is to provide abutton that may be more easily sewed onto an underlying fabricthan similar prior art buttons.

A still further object is to provide an article of the type mentioned that has the outward appearanceof a conventional one-piece button.

These and other objects and advantages will become apparent from a reading of the following description and claims, together with the accompanying drawing, in which like parts are referred to and indicated by like reference characters and wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a button made according to this invention and shown on a first layer of textile fabric and engaging asecond layer of fabric;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the fixed or anchor member oi the instant button sewed onto the first layer of textile fabric;

Figure. 3; is a cross-sectional view of the anchor member and fabric, taken along. the line and. in the direction oi the arrows 3-3 of the Fig.- ure 2 Figure 4 is. a cross sectional view at the assembled button and: layer of. fabric, taken along the line andv in. the direction of the arrows 4 or the Figure 1;.

Figure. 5: is anenlarged rear view' of an assembled button;

Figure 6' is an enlarged; sectional. view of the 2. button, taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 6-6 of the Figure 4;

Figure 7 is an enlarged rear view of the separah-1e head member of the instant button;

Figure 8' is a vertical cross-sectional view of the head member, taken along the line and in the direction of" the: arrows 8-8 of the Figure 7';

Figure 9' is a horizontal cross-sectional view of the head member, taken along the line and in the direction of the arrows 9-4 of the Figure '7;

Figure 10 is an enlarged plan view of the anchor member;

Figure 1-1 is an end view of the anchor member shown in the Figure 10; and

Figure 12 is a side elevation of the sameairehor member.

conducive to a clearer understanding of this invention, it may be well to point out that it is often desirable to remove the orn'amentai button-s from ladies" outer garments. Sometimes it is necessary to remove such buttons before laundering or cleaning the garment in order to prevent injury tothe garment; but more often to prevent damage to" the button itself which is frequently irreplaceable. Very frequently it is desired to simply change the buttons to match other garments or articles of apparel, such as handbags or jewelry;

It is obvious that constantly removing and resewing a conventional button to an underlying fabric is a laborious task and would tend to weaken the fabric. It is also obvious and necessary that a detachable button must above all be secure. It must be light in weight and have no mechanical parts which might unnecessarily wear, out or otherwise damage the fabric. Also, its detachable characteristic must not be too conspicuous, cumbersome or inconvenient to apply or use.

The button constituting this invention is made up of two primary parts, the anchor member 20 and the head member 30, each of which will be described in detail hereinafter and in the order stated.

The anchor member 20 consists of a. single piece or wire bent substantially to the shape shown the Figures 16-, 1t and 12 of the drawing. This may be of arelatively fine gauge piano or rust-proof steel wire and treated so as to have a ran degree of resiliency, and so that it does" not readily get out of shape. The central part of the length of wire is bent to form a letter S. This part is the base portion 2| and is sewed onto the .top surface of the underlying textile fabric l5 with thread It, as shown in the Figure 3. The thread H5 only passes through the fabric [5.

The two ends of the length of wire are bent at right angles to the base 2| and form parallel perpendicular portions 22. These perpendicular portions 22 project through the buttonhole 19 of the second fabric is, as shown in the Figure 4.

The ends of the single piece of wire are again bent at right angles to form the rings or hooklike portions 23. The rings 23 are in the same plane, and are parallel with the base 2!. They are spaced from the base 2! a distance substantially the same as the thickness of the layer of fabric the button is intended to secure. The loops of the rings 23 should be as small as possible and should be smaller than the loops of the S shaped base 2! to facilitate sewing or attachment to the underlying fabric IS. The loops of the rings and base need not be concentric but the ring loopshould be, for the sake of efficiency and practicability, within the loops of the base 2| as shown.

The rings 23 should also extend outwardly from the perpendicular portions or supports 22 as shown in the Figures 10, 11 and 12 in order to resiliently fit into and be retained by the hereinafter described engaging corners 34.

The anchor member 20 should have sufficient tension so that when the rings 23 and the perpendicular portions 22 are brought together, they will, when released, return to their normal relative portions as shown in the drawing.

The separable head member 3| may be moulded of any colored plastic material or may be made out of bone, wood or any other desired material. Its face SI may be ornamented in any desired fashion and it may have any desired shape or size.

The back of the head member 30 has a fiat recess 32 therein which is partly covered by two flanges 36. The recess 32 is substantially square and two opposite corners thereof are referred to and indicated as receiving corners 33. The other two opposite corners are similarly referred to and indicated as engaging corners 34. The engaging corners 34 are covered by the aforesaid facing flanges 35, as is clearly shown in the Figures 7, 8 and 9 of the drawing. The spaces of the recess 32, between the back of the button and the two flanges 36 thereof, that form the engaging corners 34, are in effect two opposing slots which receive and retain the aforesaid rings 23 as shown in the Figure 6.

The slots of the recess 32 should be deep enough to neatly contain the rings 23 and the space between the facing flanges 36 should be wide enough to permit the rings 23 to pass through when the head member is being either mounted or detached.

If the recess 32 is made as shown, that is, substantially square, the four straight side walls 35 thereof will be closer together than either of the opposing corners. The rings 23 will therefore, when moving from the uncovered receiving corners 33 to the flange-covered engaging corners 34, be constricted slightly at the wall portions 35. They will again retain their normal respective positions in the recess at the engaging corners 34. The head member 30 cannot then be removed unless the measurable force is ap- '4 plied to again constrict the anchor member 29. The button members will not become separated during normal use, but may be very easily and quickly detached when desired by simply turning the head member 30 a quarter turn and lifting it off the anchor member 20.

In the Figure 6, the reference character 23 shows an anchor ring in the recess 32 and in the engaging position. The reference character 23a indicates schematically the receiving position of the ring and the character 23b similarly indicates the constricted position of the ring. The anchor member 20 has a toggle-like action in relation to the mounted head member 34!.

Having thus disclosed the invention in its preferred form and since certain words and terms have been used rather loosely to define as well as to describe the invention, and furthermore since there may be other forms, modifications or uses of the invention, it should be understood that no limitations are intended herein except those imposed thereon by a reasonable interpretation of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A separable button, comprising in combination, an anchor member having a base portion attachable to a garment, a pair of supports on the base portion extendable through a garment button-hole and a ring integral with each support extending outwardly therefrom and parallel to and spaced from the base portion; and a head member having a recess therein and having two oppositely facing slots in the Walls of the said recess detachably engaging the aforesaid rings.

2. In a button of the type having a slotted detachable head, an anchor, consisting of a piece of resilient wire having an S-shaped base portion, spaced upright supports integral with the base portion, and a resilient ring mounted on each of the supports extending outwardly therefrom and parallel to the base portion and capable of engaging the aforesaid slotted head.

3. In a button of the type having a slotted detachable head, an anchor, consisting of a single piece of resilient wire having a substantially flat base portion, spaced upright supports, and a laterally extending resilient ring mounted on each of the supports extending outwardly therefrom and parallel to the base portion and capable of engaging the aforesaid slotted head.

4. In a button of the type having a slotted detachable head, an anchor, consisting of a piece of resilient wire having an S-shaped base portion, a pair of outwardly extending resilient rings lying in spaced parallel relation with the base portion capable of engaging the aforesaid slotted head, and a pair of upright supports connecting the said base portion and rings and being integral therewith.

5. In a button of the type having a slotted detachable head, an anchor, consisting of a piece of resilient wire having a substantially flat base portion, a pair of outwardly extending resilient rings lying in the same plane in spaced parallel relation with the base portion and being capable of engaging the aforesaid slotted head, and a pair of upright supports connecting the said base portion and rings and being integral therewith.

6. In a button of the type having a slotted de tachable head, an anchor, consisting of a piece of resilient wire having an S-shaped base portion, a pair of outwardly extending resilientrings lying in the same plane in spaced parallel relation'with the base portion and capable of engaging the aforesaid slotted head, and a pair of 2,471,589 5 parallel upright supports ascending from the REFERENCES CITED ends of the S-shaped base portion and connect- The 11 n ing the said base portion and rings and being file of 3 2 g f i ces are of record in the integral therewith.

'7. In a button of the type having a pair of slots 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS in a detachable head, an anchor, consisting of a Numbgr Name D t piece of resilient Wire having a. fiat S-shaped bas 280,730 Farnsworth July 3 1883 portion, a pair of spaced upright suppor s 1,132,788 Paull May 9: 1916 tegral with the base portion, and a ring in e r 2,191,773 Place Feb. 27, 1940 with each support extending outwardly there- 10 from and parallel to the base portion and capable of engaging the aforesaid pair of slots.

HARRY A. SHAFFER. 

